Steve King Strikes Again!

Back when I was still doing my Idiot of the Week posts, in March 2017 to be exact, I awarded Filosofa’s Idiot of the Week award to a member of Congress named Steve King of Iowa. Mr. King apparently appreciated the award so much that he keeps flitting across my radar, begging to be given some additional recognition, it would seem. All I can say is that he’s lucky I don’t live in his home state of Iowa!

Let’s face it … any representative that earns a score of zero from the Humane Society, but an ‘A’ rating from the NRA is not somebody you’re really going to look up to! Now, King has a reputation, well-earned, of being a racist and a bigot. He is firmly against LGBT rights, has spoken cruelly against Mexicans in general, against Muslims, was against President Obama because of his ethnicity, loves Donald Trump, supports racial profiling, is a climate-change denier and … need I go on? There is a word for people of his ilk … it starts with a ‘J’, ends with another word for a donkey, and if I have to tell you what it is, then you are in the wrong blog!

So, what has King done now, you ask, to ruffle the Filosofa’s feathers? Back in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit both the Florida and Louisiana coasts and nearly devastated much of New Orleans, as parts of the levee system were breached, King was one of 11 members of Congress who voted against a federal aid package for New Orleans. On Thursday, 14 years after the devastating hurricane that took the lives of at least 1,500 in Louisiana alone, King spoke at a Town Hall meeting in his district.

“Here’s what FEMA tells me. We go to a place like New Orleans, and everybody’s looking around saying, ‘Who’s going to help me? Who’s going to help me?’ We go to a place like Iowa, and we go, we go see, knock on the door at, say, I’ll make up a name, John’s place, and say, ‘John, you got water in your basement, we can write you a check, we can help you.’ And John will say, ‘Well, wait a minute, let me get my boots. It’s Joe that needs help. Let’s go down to his place and help him.'”

What. A. Jerk. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), by the way, denies his claim. It should be noted that King’s state, Iowa, is predominantly white, whereas New Orleans is 60% African-American. If New Orleans were predominantly white, King would almost certainly not have made such a ridiculous statement.

Once again, as has happened multiple times in the past year, his fellow republicans took him to task. Representative Steve Scalise, whose district includes parts of New Orleans, said …

“His comments about Katrina victims are absurd and offensive, and are a complete contradiction to the strength and resilience the people of New Orleans demonstrated to the entire nation in the wake of the total devastation they experienced.”

Last weekend, King came under fire for this Facebook post …

Nice, huh? And in January he was stripped of his committee assignments in the House for white supremacist remarks he made. When asked about an apology for his remarks, he refused to apologize. Even Mitch McConnell condemned King’s remarks …

“There is no place in the Republican Party, the Congress or the country for an ideology of racial supremacy of any kind. I have no tolerance for such positions and those who espouse these views are not supporters of American ideals and freedoms. Representative King’s statements are unwelcome and unworthy of his elected position.If he doesn’t understand why ‘white supremacy’ is offensive, he should find another line of work.”

The late night hosts didn’t miss the opportunity …

The people of Iowa have elected this doofus nine times now! This nation is undergoing a very tense, divisive time and the very last thing we need is an obnoxious white supremacist with a loud mouth in Congress, for we already have one in the White House. Iowans … PLEASE remove your heads from your patooties, wake up, and vote Mr. King out of Congress next year!!!

I could also have pointed out that back in the 19th Century there were another bunch of Americans who made much of their own martial spirit over perceived effete folk…..and look how well that work out for them.
True it took 5 years and they won a few but eventually, boy did they have their butts kicked; royally.

I chalk it up to fear. That seems to form the base of white supremacy. A large field I remember was vacant. Word got around black people were going to buy it and make a park for blacks. It was rapidly sold to a white farmer living nearby. 😦 — Suzanne

You are right … fear is the underlying cause. Lately I keep hearing that they fear becoming a minority … so what? Perhaps they remember how they have treated minorities and fear they will be treated the same? Such narrow, shallow little minds … I cannot comprehend it.

I agree with everything you say except perhaps one thing.I fully understand if you want to sit me in a corner and whisper in my ear but unlike Bee who is way ahead of me here, I can’t figure out the J word. Another word for a donkey, ass, jenny, hinny, mule, burro, nothing seems to fit and I seriously hoping you’re referring to this slimeball in stronger terms than that. Help.
Cwtch

Jill, apparently, a person who has recurrently touted bigoted and racist remarks, must be suitable to his constituents. We must move beyond this tribalism, as no party should tolerate his recurrent hate-filled remarks. Keith

My thoughts also. Surely after nearly two decades in Congress, his people know how he is, know him for the bigot he is, so if they keep sending him back, they must approve of that behaviour. Another good case for term limits.